Once you have visited you will
agree that Pacific County is nature's best effort!

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is located on Willapa Bay, one of the most pristine estuaries in the United States .Willapa
Bay is the second largest estuary on the Pacific Coast and includes over 260 square miles of water surface.The refuge was
established in 1937 to protect migrating and wintering populations of brant, waterfowl, shorebirds, and other migratory birds.
The refuge was established at a time when many estuaries were rapidly being destroyed by diking, draining, dredging, sedimentation,
and pollution.

The refuge preserves a number of unique ecosystems including diverse salt marshes, rich tideflats,
rain-drenched old growth forest, and dynamic coastal dunes and beaches.

Visitors to the refuge can enjoy viewing a wide variety of wildlife, from spawning salmon in the refuge's
numerous streams, to Roosevelt elk on Long Island, to the tens of thousands of migrating shorebirds that crowd the beaches
at Leadbetter Point.

Reminder: Collection of plants, animals, and artifacts including mushrooms is
prohibited on national wildlife refuges.

WILLAPA VALLEY

The area known as Willapa Valley is located on Highway 6, about five miles east of Raymond.
Primarily an agricultural area, Willapa Valley is the location of the Willie Keil Historical Site. The Willapa River, named
for the Whilapah Indians, winds through the valley.

A little bit of history The area was first settled in 1852 by Samuel Woodard who took a donation
land claim of 640 acres. For many years, this location was known as Woodard's Landing and served as the port for the large
boats that came in from Portland to discharge cargo and mail. When logging began in the 1870s, the area began to grow. The
name was changed to Willapa in 1884. The numerous waterways throughout the planning area were the only means of transportation
for mail and cargo and were essential to development. The community of Willapa was the hub of the Willapa Valley. Boats came
in three times a week to discharge cargo, mail, and passengers, and two large warehouses held supplies for the valley. Sidewalks
were constructed along the main streets and roads were planked where needed. As Willapa boomed, houses sprung up everywhere,
and by 1887 the community provided hotels, drug stores, a real estate office, and a barbershop. By 1900, the business center
and moved to South Bend and Raymond. Today, the historic mixed-use districts of Menlo, Lebam, and Frances still provide residents with a pleasant place to live.(Business Guide)

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Back on our route again we saw the street sculptures in Raymond. These are two-dimensional life-sized metal cut-outs
of animals and people placed along the road leading into town and along the streets of the town. Some of the animals were
in natural settings where you might expect to find the real thing. The people and family groups are shown carrying out everyday
life activities.

Seen along the way in a nearby on route 101: “The Loose Caboose”, a diner in an old red train caboose.

In
an area with forest on both sides of the highway a coyote ran across the road in front of us, startling us both. It appeared,
dashed across the road, and vanished into the undergrowth in what seemed an instant.

Birdwatching: Willapa National Wildlife Refuge

Location: Pacific County on south side of Willapa Bay, off Highway 101.

Habitat: U.S. Fish and Wildlife site, saltwater and freshwater marshes by Willapa Bay, hillside of deciduous
and conifer forest.